St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-09
The AMERICAN NAVY.
Secretary Whitney Presents
His Annual Report to
Congress,
And Seems Satisfied With the
Progress Recently Ac-
complished.
Congressman Unwilling to
Express Themselves On
the Tariff.
Brief Sessions of the House
and Senate General Cap
itaI News.


Special TO the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Dec. SIN his annual
report the secretary of the navy says it
is with much satisfaction that the de-
partment is able to report upon the Oc-
currences of the past year. Many diff
culties have stood in the way of the ere
alton of a creditable new navy. During
the last year many of these have been
removed. and if it is the will of the
country that we should be possessed of
d navy able 10 maintain when required
the honor and dignity of the govern
mert, it can now readily be created.
The secretary then outlines the work
accomplished on the cruisers. armed
vessels. coast defenSeS, etc. In this
connection. he adds: Some slight de-
lay in construction of the cruisers under
contract has doubtless resulted, and
much Earring and unpleaSantneSS at
first: but at the present time all concur
that the quality of the steel has been
improved and that more reliable pro-
ceSses have come to light, and all dis
satisfaction has disappeared. ESpe-
Cially has the steel made upon the
Pacific coast been notable for
its quality and the construction
of the cruisers there may mark an I'M
pOrtant event in its industrial history.
He says: The department deems it I'M
wise to follow at present the course of
the European powers in building I'M
protected torpedo boats. 1t recognizes
the power of the dynamite prOjectile,
and believes it practicable to embOdy it
in such manner as to insure that 1t will
reach any desired object of attack in
spite of known weapons, and upon that
problem il is engaged. l find myself
unable to concur in the recommendation
that the Slngle-turreted monitors be re-
paired and made ready for coast de-
Tense vessels. An examination of their
characteristics shows that outside OF
ships in our own navy no antagonist
could probably be found against which
they could stand for a moment. They
were good vessels for their time, but
are entirely obsolete. 1t would be little
less than murder to send men in these
at the present time to encounter any
recently built iron clad. | appreciate
fully that it is only
As \ TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT
that it is suggested, a nd with the
thought that in the absence of anything
else these might be better than nothing.
This has been the theory upon which
over so, O9O 900 and probably S75.O ,OO0
have been spent since the close of the
war. 1t is time to stop it, and be con-
tent only with the best. If every dollar
Is made TO count upon something of real
value. waste Will stop, and not before.
After describing the eXtravagant system
of repairing vessels in past years, the
repairs often costing several times as
much as the vessel did, the secretary
says: 1t is often the subject of wonder
what has become of the S70,000,000 spent
on war vessels since the close of the
war, III view of the fact that there is
now no navy. The foregoing bit of his
tory will serve as an illustration. The
pneumatic dynamite gun has been de-
Yeloped by private enterprise to the
point where it merits immediate atten-
ton. Whatever destruction torpedo
can do this prOjectile can do if ac-
curately placed. Against its method
of attack neither nets nor machine
guns are of any considerable use. 1t
can be fired at such distance as to de-
fend the effective range Of machine
guns and the line of flight of its pro
lectile escapes nets. There are queS-
tons yet to be settled before its eff
cheney for naval purposes can be fully
determined. This invention, like every
other, has its own peculiar problems to
solve. but the zeal and intelligence thus
far given to the development promise
ultimate success. For coast and harbOr
defense. to be fired from land batteries,
its accuracy is substantially established.
but for naval purposes other elements
of difficulty intervene. The movement
of the vessel destroys the possibility of
availing of range previously deter
mined by experiment. However, the
problems to be solved are receiving the
most Jealous study and it is believed by
those interested that in time all will be
lNlf to
exist for the creation of naval re-
serve. The department has informed
itself of the systems of organization for
coast defenSeS and naval reserve in for
eign countries, and is prepared to
FORMULATE A GENERAL PLAN
for a similar organization to meet the
requirements of our own institutions.
1t should resemble in organization that
of the militia or National guard. rest
upon the foundation of local interest,
contemplate the employment and rapid
mobilization of steamers enrolled on
any auxiliary list, and be calculated to
produce the best results on a cOmpara-
lively small national expenditure. |
ask for this question the earnest cOnsid-
Grafton of congress. A notable illus
tratiOn OF the generosity and courage
with which England pushes her ship
pug lIlCiCSl IL StCll III lllt III
which she is at this moment dealing
with the trade of the North Pacific. 1t
has been thus far principally under the
American flag. and cOntributOry to San
Francisco and the United States. The
british government and Canada to-
gether are proposing for the establish
ment of line of firSt-claSS steam
erS from Vancouver to Japan.
The subsidy is likely to
be annually e45, 900 from England and
9150.0O0 from Canada. There will also
be contributed from the naval reserve
fund probably s. per ton annually for
each ship constructed for the route,
which will increase the sum by proba-
bly, S125.000. Under such competition
it is quite easy to conjecture what will
become of the American flag and our
resources in the way of naval reserve
in the North Pacific. The general tone
of the report is ono of great satisfaction
with the successful development of the
secretary's plans for the rehabilitation
of our navy.